Strangers To Lovers

Chapter Thirty-Seven

I gazed out the car window, watching the rain streak against the glass, feeling my heart pound like a drumbeat echoing in my chest. I couldn’t understand how things had spiraled so fast. Just hours ago, Luke had told me to leave. To walk away. And yet, in his next breath, he was confessing his love for me. How could he say those words after pushing me out of his life?

“I love you, I love you, I love you,” he had said, over and over. The memory of his voice, laced with desperation, tugged at my heart.

But how could I believe him? How could I trust him again when he was so unpredictable, one minute pushing me away, the next pulling me back in?

Channing glanced over at me as he drove, concern etched in his features. “Ella, are you okay?” he asked gently, his voice breaking the silence that had stretched between us.

“I don’t know,” I admitted softly, my thoughts still a tangled mess.

“I know things are confusing right now,” Channing said. “If you need to talk, I’m here. It’s just... I don’t think you should be dealing with this alone.”

His words were kind, his offer genuine, but I shook my head, a small smile tugging at the corner of my lips. “Thanks, Channing. I just... I need to get home. Change into something comfortable. Donna’s picking me up tomorrow anyway.”

I forced a smile for his sake, but inside, my mind was racing. Was I really going back to Luke’s? After everything?

“I’m going back to Luke’s,” I mumbled, more to myself than to Channing. It was a weak attempt to convince myself that it was the right thing to do.

“You don’t have to,” Channing replied, casting a quick glance my way before turning his eyes back to the road. “You don’t owe him anything, Ella.”

“I know,” I said quietly. But it didn’t feel that simple. Not when everything between us was so complicated. Not when every fiber of my being still ached for him.

Channing sighed but didn’t push further. He knew I wasn’t going to change my mind. The silence between us stretched again, broken only by the sound of the rain hammering against the car roof.

I tried to focus on anything other than the mess I was in, but my thoughts kept circling back to Luke, to how he had looked at me when I left. Would he be okay without me? What if something happened to him?

The knot of worry tightened in my chest, and I clenched my fists in frustration. Why did it always come back to this? Why couldn’t I just walk away and let him deal with his own mess for once?

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Channing said, as if reading my mind. “Dylan will keep an eye on him.”

I nodded, but the doubt lingered. Luke had a way of getting under my skin, no matter how much I tried to pull away.

Channing pulled up to my apartment, and I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. “Thanks for the ride,” I said as I unbuckled my seatbelt.

“Anytime,” Channing replied with a small smile. “Just... don’t go back to Luke unless you’re sure it’s what you want, okay? You deserve better than this.”

I nodded, though I wasn’t sure what I wanted anymore. “I’ll be fine,” I said, more for his benefit than my own.

I slipped out of the car and hurried inside, grateful for the brief moment of warmth as I stepped into the apartment. The relief was short-lived, though, when I heard the unmistakable sound of someone else moving around inside.

Levi.

My heart skipped a beat when I realized I wasn’t alone. He was standing in the kitchen, casually pulling down his pants as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

My mouth fell open in shock, my brain short-circuiting as I stared at him. He froze mid-action, his eyes widening in surprise before quickly pulling his pants back up.

“I... I’m so sorry!” I stammered, my cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Levi’s face flushed as red as mine, and he cleared his throat awkwardly. “No, no, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize anyone was coming back so soon.”

I stood frozen in place, unsure of what to do or say. This was Luke’s brother — his older, apparently very attractive brother — and I had just caught him in an incredibly compromising position.

“I guess I should have locked the door,” Levi muttered, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Yeah, probably a good idea,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper as I tried to avoid making eye contact. I quickly ducked into my bedroom, my heart still racing from the encounter.

What was he even doing here? And why did I feel like I had walked into something I wasn’t supposed to see?

I heard Levi moving around again, and I debated whether I should just hide out in my room until he left. But curiosity got the better of me, and I poked my head out.

“Is... is Dylan here?” I asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from what had just happened.

Levi shook his head. “No, he went out. Probably won’t be back for a while.”

“Oh.” I shifted awkwardly, unsure of how to fill the silence. “So... you’re staying here?”

Levi shrugged. “For now. I didn’t really have anywhere else to go.”

I nodded, chewing on my bottom lip. “Okay... well, um, do you want to talk?”

Levi raised an eyebrow, surprised by my question. “About what?”

“I don’t know. Anything. You said you’ve been gone for a while... what happened?”

Levi’s expression darkened, and for a moment, I thought he wasn’t going to answer. But then he sighed, running a hand through his dark hair.

“I went through... a lot,” he admitted. “I was in a bad place for a long time. But I’m trying to make things right now. Especially with Luke.”

The mention of Luke made my chest tighten, and I could tell Levi noticed.

“He doesn’t know I’m back yet,” Levi added quietly. “I don’t know if I’m ready to face him.”

I frowned. “Why not? He needs you, Levi. He’s going through so much right now.”

Levi shook his head, his gaze dropping to the floor. “I don’t know if I’m what he needs.”

We stood there in silence for a moment, the weight of his words hanging between us. I could feel the tension, the unresolved pain that seemed to be eating away at him, just like it was with Luke.

“Levi,” I said softly, stepping closer. “Whatever happened in the past, it doesn’t matter. You’re here now, and that’s what counts. Luke needs you.”

Levi looked up at me, his green eyes filled with doubt. “I’m not sure he even wants me around.”

“He does,” I insisted. “He’s just too stubborn to admit it.”

Levi’s lips quirked into a small smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Maybe. But I need to make things right with him first.”

I nodded, understanding more than I could say. “Yeah, I get that.”

As we stood there, the rain still drumming against the windows, I realized that both Levi and Luke were trapped in the same cycle — both trying to fix the past, both afraid of facing their demons.

I couldn’t fix that for them. But maybe, just maybe, I could help them find a way out.